Bring on the pool parties, sunbathing, barbecues and bonfires – summer is finally here. No longer are children shackled by classes or piles of homework. The world is now their playground, and they have only a few months to take advantage of it before the days grow shorter and the temperatures colder as a new school year begins.

This is the time for seizing the day, for freedom and adventure. Not all adventures have to be costly, though, or take place on a cruise across the Caribbean. Opportunities are popping up in our own backyards — ones that won’t leave a gaping hole in wallets but do provide summer fun for all ages, even giving adults a chance to loosen their ties and play.

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“The Huron-Clinton metroparks bring first-class, affordable getaways for everyone in southeast Michigan,” said John McCulloch, director of Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority. “We’re kicking off the 2013 season with new activities and a packed events’ schedule.”

Those in the Brownstown Township area can take a day to explore Lake Erie Metropark’s summertime activities. The park provides transient slips for daily access to its marina. Guests can bring their boats to the launch at the north end of the park and have all of the Detroit River and Lake Erie at their fingertips. Boaters, however, are required to have metropark boat permits, which are priced at $30 annually ($15 for senior citizens) and $5 daily. Anything not brought to the park on a trailer, such as kayaks, sailboats or canoes, does not require a boating permit.

Visitors also have a chance to brave the waves of the park’s “Great Wave” swimming pool, which was recently opened to the public once concrete repairs were completed. The fee for pool access is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors 62 and older and children 15 years and younger, and free for children less than 30 inches tall.

New to the park this year is the rip slide, a three-story inflatable waterslide near the wave pool. The slide costs $12 per day or $1 per ride. For access to both the pool and the slide, visitors pay $15 for adults and $13 for children.

Anyone wanting to keep their “land legs” can instead visit the metropark’s golf course. It’s a regulation 18-hole, par-72, that stretches across 6,472 yards. Call 1-734-379-0048 or 1-800-23-GOLF-4 for details.

Guests also can make a short trek up to the Marshlands Museum and Nature Center to meet a friend who is unique to Lake Erie Metropark. The nearby aerie is home to Luc, the center’s resident bald eagle, who was injured while in the wild and can no longer live on his own. After sneaking a peek at Luc, guests can make their way up to the museum, where they will find themselves surrounded by eye-catching pieces of the region’s history. A display of old decoys, boats and other hunting artifacts bring to mind the Downriver tradition of waterfowling.

Visitors have a chance to soak up the sun with the use of the park’s other amenities, such as its three-mile-long paved hiking or biking trail. Athletes, aspiring athletes, or anyone just looking for a good game can take advantage of the baseball diamond and the basketball, tennis and volleyball courts. Children even have their own space within a play area inside the park.

ake Erie Metropark is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The 1,607 acre park is at 32481 W. Jefferson Ave. in Brownstown Township. Call 1-734-379-5020 or go to metroparks.com for more information on the metropark and its activities.

Lake Erie Metropark will provide another adventure this summer. Those who crave exploration and discovery can embark on one of the park’s Summer Discovery Cruises throughout July and August. Passengers will board the Clinton and take a 2 1/2- or four-hour cruise through the waters and islands of the lower Detroit River.

“There’s an assortment of cruises to pick from; some are centered around nature, history, the islands, and there’s even a night cruise that focuses on astronomy and nocturnal creatures,” said Jane Van Kirk of the Lake Erie Metropark Nature Center.

“What separates these from other cruises is the fact that there will be instructors on board giving all of this information. It’s not a dining cruise, it’s educational.”

The cruises provide a rich learning opportunity with information about various aspects of the waters, such as lighthouses, shipwrecks, bootleggers and the history and culture of the region. Fun facts about the wildlife also will be given, including information about fish, ecology, restoration and wind, waves and water. Even more information will be provided to coincide with whichever theme the cruise features.

The Summer Discovery Cruises are sponsored by Michigan Sea Grant and Michigan State University Extension. The 2 1/2-hour cruises are $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 6 to 17. The four-hour cruises cost $25 for adults and $15 for children. Advance reservations are required. Call 1-734-379-5020, ext. 6836, or visit miseagrant.umich.edu/sdc for registration information.

Those who live closer to the Belleville area might want to spend a day or two at Lower Huron Metropark. The park’s Walnut Grove Campground offers rustic camping until October with 27 campsites available for reservation. Spend an evening surrounding a roaring campfire, and don’t forget ingredients for sweet summertime s’mores. Tents, campers and motor homes are permitted on the grounds. Reservations are recommended, and campsites can be reserved for $20 a night.

Modern restrooms can be found within the Tulip Tree Campground. Shower facilities are available mornings, Memorial Day through Labor Day, at Turtle Cove Family Aquatic Center. Select weekends will offer interpretive programs for campers.

For some family-friendly water park fun, visitors can take a day or two making a splash at the Turtle Cove Family Aquatic Center. Enjoy the thrill of Turtle Cove’s two waterslides, or float on in its seemingly endless lazy river. Guests also can wade in the swimming pool or face the splash zone of its water sprayscape, including a 300-gallon dumping bucket. Turtle Cove is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekends and holidays. Admission prices are $8 per person 48 inches and taller; $6 for children 30 to 47 inches tall and free for children less than 30 inches tall. There also is a $5 twilight rate after 5 p.m.

Don’t feel like getting soaked? The park also offers an 18-hole, par-3 golf course. The course hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily until mid-October. Other activities to keep dry include a scenic parkway and nature trails, picnic areas, picnic shelters, and a children’s play area. The park also provides basketball, tennis and volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, and a five-mile paved hike or bike trail that connects to a 15-mile trail system linked to Willow and Oakwoods metroparks.

Also taking place at Lower Huron Metropark is the annual “Cruzin’ the Park” event. Guests can enjoy the hundreds of classic cars and street rods that will be on display, watch the car competition, or explore and participate in the event’s swap meet. The program is free to attend, though a vehicle entry permit is required.

Lower Huron Metropark is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Call 734-697-9181 or visit metroparks.com for details.

Another summertime getaway in the area can be found at Oakwoods Metropark in Huron Township. Take in and experience its scenic forest along with a magnificent view of the Huron River. Visitors can take a hike through mature woodlands, explore overlooks of the river’s backwaters and a 3-acre pond, all of which are located within the 400-acre Nature Study Area. Get up close and personal with the turtles swimming in a 700-gallon aquatic tank within the Nature Center, or sneak a peek at a live, slithering snake. Also included at the Nature Center is the majestic Hawkeye, the park’s resident red-tailed hawk.

The metropark also includes an equestrian trail and a paved, hike or bike trail that connects to Willow and Lower Huron metroparks as a 15-mile trail. Make a stop at the Cedar Knoll Picnic Area to hike the nearby butterfly viewing trail and watch them flutter about with their vibrantly colored wings. The trail has also been designated as a monarch waystation by Monarch Watch.

Guests can bring canoes or kayaks to explore the river behind the Nature Center. The shore of the Cedar Knoll Picnic area provides a prime location for fishing, or guests can put their rowboats in the fishing access to try their luck at getting a bite.

Special events occurring at the park during the summer months include the $5 Bat Festival on July 13.

Oakwoods Metropark is open from 8 a.m. until dusk. The park expands across 1,716-acres and is northwest of Flat Rock. The entrance can be found on Willow Road. Call 1-734-782-3956 or go to metroparks.com to learn more about the park.

Sterling State Park, the only state park on Lake Erie, is another source of summer fun. The park holds 1,300 acres of recreational activities, such as a milelong stretch of beach, boating, shore fishing on the lake or at fishing lagoons, lakefront camping, and six miles of trails that provide an excellent abundance of wildlife.

Take a relaxing hike along the nature trails, scour the sands of the beach with a metal detector (and maybe find your own treasure), or spend the day getting waterlogged as you swim in the cooling waters of the lake.

There are 256 campsites at the Sterling-Modern Campground in the park. Electrical services, modern restrooms and a picnic shelter are all provided by the campground, and certain sites include 50-amp service. A recreation passport is required to camp on the grounds, and camping fees are priced at $22, $24, or $34. Call 1-734-289-2715 to learn more about the park.

Sterling State Park also will spend the summer hosting weekly “Hook, Line and Sinker” programs at 7 p.m. every Tuesday until Aug. 13 to give guests an opportunity to learn to fish with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Experienced instructors will be on hand to give fun, step-by-step guides on how to fish in a peaceful environment.

“This is an educational outreach event,” said Erin Ochs, explorer guide for the DNR. “It gives kids an opportunity to learn about ecology and how fishing can control the fish population. We keep the things we need to keep.”

Those participating in “Hook, Line and Sinker” will meet at the Trailhead Parking Lot, and bait, poles, and tackle will be provided. A fishing license is not required for those younger than 17. Call 1-734-289-2715 to sign up.

On a rainier day, stop into The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, the home of more than 300 years of history. Tour the museum and see its awe-inspiring 26 million artifacts, a collection that was started by auto pioneer Henry Ford himself. Guests can dine at The Michigan Cafe, Lamy’s Diner or the Wienermobile Cafe during their tour.

Later, take a seat in front of the massive IMAX theater screen for a 3-D moviegoing experience. Currently playing at the theater are “Man of Steel” and “Flight of the Butterflies.” For a list of ticket prices and show times, visit thehenryford.org/imax. The museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Members get in free and adult nonmembers can purchase a ticket for $17. Senior nonmembers, 62 and older pay $15, and tickets for children ages 5 to 12 cost $12.50. Call 1-313-982-6001 or visit thehenryford.org for details.

Summertime doesn’t have to be painfully expensive to be fun, and doesn’t mean traveling miles to another city or state to find memory-making adventures. An endless bounty of summer resources, from metroparks to fairs and cruises along the river, all within a reasonable budget, is available just around the corner. Take a chance and explore the activities close to home.